Today Sohaib was discharged from Sheba Medical Center, to our house in Ashdod. After a few tests with good results, Sohaib was able to return to all the new friends he made in the last few weeks in Ashdod.
Sohaib’s test results determined he had an allergic reaction to a specific medication. Sohaib had a follow-up echo on Monday to assist doctors in seeing how they may effectively continue to help Sohaib.
This morning, Sohaib was brought to the operating room at Sheba Medical Centre. Diagnosed with ventricular septal defect, he traveled with his mother from a refugee camp in Kurdistan for this difficult surgery: a procedure which was considered unfeasible by his doctors in Northern Iraq. Yet, by God’s orchestration, the green light for surgery was given after a second look from the doctors at Sheba.
When I first arrived at the ICU with Quinlan, Sohaib was restless, but under the steadfast care of his mother. The minutes leading up to surgery passed like hours, but the doctors were attentive and calming as they wheeled him into the operating room. “We are praying for Sohaib.” Quinlan said to Sohaib’s mother. “In God’s will,” she replied through tears.
It was a long, difficult wait in the lobby, though she was encouraged by a visit from Brwa’s mother, whose conversation helped keep her mind occupied. Finally, at noon joyful news came: Sohaib did marvelously! The doctor only needed to say, “Ok” and immediately, his mother embraced Quinlan in relief. They were able to successfully close all of the holes between the two lower ventricles of his heart.
They will wait until tomorrow to extubate Sohaib to make sure he remains stable overnight. Please pray for continued healing in this young boy’s heart. We are overjoyed that Sohaib has made it this far when it seemed the door had nearly closed for him!
This afternoon, we got a phone call from Sheba hospital with big news for Sohaib; another child’s surgery was cancelled at the last moment so a space was open for him! His mom packed their bags quickly and just an hour later, they arrived at the hospital to be admitted to the ICU.
Sohaib normally stays pretty relaxed for his echoes, but not today. He was not happy about the process and made the doctors work extra hard to get good images. He cheered up quite a bit afterwards when coworker Quinlan blew bubbles for him in the x-ray waiting room.
Sohaib was admitted directly to the ICU, where he will await his heart surgery tomorrow morning.
Handsome little Sohaib was discharged from Sheba hospital today after a successful diagnostic cath yesterday. The doctors weren’t sure if surgery would be possible for him, but after the cath and a special 3D echo today, they have decided to operate next week. Please pray for Sohaib as he goes to a difficult surgery.
Today, Sohaib had his first diagnostic cath at Sheba Hospital, and the results are hopeful. The process took two hours and the surgeons were very optimistic about the procedure.
In the morning we found our charming boy sleeping. Sohaib was able to go into the surgery area in his mom’s arms, he felt secure when his mom said in Kurdish that with the help of God, everything would be okay. That image reminds me how relieving the promise of our Father is, that He knows the plans he has for each of us. His plan is to prosper and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.
The doctors are so positive because now they are able to consider the possibility of Sohaib’s surgery in the future. We pray now for the doctors to find the best next step for this little guy.
Handsome little Sohaib had his first evaluation at Sheba hospital this morning, including an x-ray, blood test, ECG, and echo. He’s a pretty relaxed little guy– he was content to munch on a candy bar for most of the waiting time and even fell asleep during his echo.
Sohaib has a large hole between the ventricles of his heart and some of the arteries in his heart are consequently in the wrong place. In general, his heart is very unwell and the doctors are not sure if surgery is an option at this point.
Today Coworkers Bria, Joanne and I, picked up little Sohaib and his mother from Ben Gurion Airport. He is a nice little guy with Ventricular Septal Defect and pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs). His condition is pretty complicated and serious. As soon as possible he will have a catheterization at Sheba Hospital and after that, the doctors will decide if his heart is operative or not. Sohaib is a very cute little guy and mother is a very kind and nice person.
Please bless these two and pray for wisdom for the doctors.
Sohaib is a year old child from Kurdistan, northern Iraq diagnosed with ventricular septal defect.
Sohaib does not yet have a local leader to advocate for prayer and financial support for his surgery.
As of right now, Sohaib still needs $6000 toward surgery and related expenses.